Somebody To Love
by scarlett2112
Summary: Unlucky at love, Elena Gilbert hates Valentine's Day. When a good Samaritan comes to her rescue one snowy and treacherous night, she begins to think that maybe her luck is about to change.


_**Happy Valentine's Day!**_

 _ **I realized that I had never written a DE Valentine's day story before. I chose Queen's 'Somebody to Love' because it's my favorite of their songs. I mentioned it to Eva. We bandied back and forth a bit, not quite sure what to do with it. When I woke up the next morning, my brilliant plot Goddess had it all the bullet points planned out. I hope you like what I did with it.**_

* * *

 _'Can anybody find me somebody to love'_

Sitting on the couch at her best friend's home, Elena takes a sip from her flute. They're enjoying a glass of wine while watching _'Sabrina'_ on the classic movie channel. Setting it down, Elena curls her legs under her and watches the show. When she feels the couch dip, she looks at Caroline who's handing her a bowl of popcorn.

"Popcorn and wine?" she laughs, taking a handful and stuffing it in her mouth.

"Of course. There's never not a good time for popcorn," Caroline adds, taking a handful herself. Staring at her best friend, she ponders how to bring up the subject.

"Why are you staring at me?" Elena asks, keeping her attention focused on the TV.

"Oh... I was just wondering if you had any plans for V-day?" she asks, looking up when she hears her husband yelling that he's home from work. "We're in the living room, Matt."

"Hey Elena," he says. After bending over to kiss Caroline, he disappears long enough to change clothes and grab a beer before dropping into the recliner that's adjacent to the couch. "Pass the popcorn," he says, setting the bowl on his lap. With one hand in the bowl, he uses the other one to take a swallow of beer, licking his lips when he sets it down on the corner table that sits between the couch and his chair.

"You didn't answer my question," Caroline mentions, looking at Elena intently as she takes another sip from her wine glass.

"I have no plans for Valentine's day other than putting on some nice fluffy socks and curling up on the couch to watch an old movie just like this," Elena states, refilling first her glass then topping off Caroline's.

"Elena, you're a beautiful woman and I will not allow you to throw a pity party for yourself on the most romantic day of the year."

"Just where is this leading to, Caroline? I will not allow you to set me up for another disastrous blind date."

"But Elena, one of Matt's colleagues is a great guy."

"Yeah, Elena, he's a Radiologist, very talented, smart, nice, great sense of humor, the whole nine yards," Matt interrupts, just before taking another long pull from his beer bottle.

"Oh no, not after the Stefan disaster. I refuse to get involved with another physician."

"But Elena, he's a sweetie."

"I don't care if he's St. Peter in the flesh. I don't want to date a doctor. They're all smarmy and full of themselves, present company excluded of course," she says to Matt, lifting her glass to her lips to take another swallow. Even though she still believes in love and romance, her track record is so poor that she has to be picky about whom she will and won't date. Maybe their friend is a nice guy but she's had one too many bad experiences letting Caroline play matchmaker that she's not willing to risk it again. Hopefully someday she'll meet someone that will turn her life upside down in the best of ways but right now all she has is history with which to judge the opposite sex, none of it good sadly. For whatever reason, she always attracts the snobby, boorish types.

Of course, being a member of the Mensa Society and professional writer for the Mensa world Journal doesn't help her case. Mensa is the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardized, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test. In layman's terms, she's a brainiac. When she hears Matt's voice, she's pulled out of her reverie. When she's at home, it's just her and Jasper, her Maine Coon Cat. For now, he's warm, fuzzy, doesn't judge and is all the company she needs.

"No offense taken, Elena, but I have to agree with Care. I think you'd like this one."

"Look, I know you both mean well and I love you for it but either this topic of conversation ends or I'm going to go home."

"Elena!?" Caroline pouts, crossing her arms over her chest. When she sees the look on Elena's face, she shakes her head adding, "Fine."

"Good, now let's watch the movie." With that, the conversation ends, all three turning their attention to the story playing out on the television.

* * *

Leaving work, Elena gets into her car. After buckling her seat belt, she's about to stick the key in the ignition when her phone rings. Rolling her eyes when she sees it's Caroline, she's tempted to ignore her but the only thing that will result in her continuing to call incessantly. "Hello, Caroline."

"Where are you? Why don't you come down to the bar and join Matt and me?"

"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times that I don't do Valentine's day."

"You loved it when we were kids," she protests, the whine in her voice rather evident.

"That was a long time ago and a lot of Valentine's days have passed since then, Care. Look, I'm tired and I'm going home."

"Oh come, join us for one drink. I promise I don't have a man here waiting for you."

"Not tonight. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye," she says, clicking the call off before Caroline can make her feel anymore guilty. Putting her phone in her handbag, she turns the engine on and after looking to make sure the road is clear, she pulls away from the curb and starts to drive home. Although not heavy, it's been snowing all day so the road is slippery. It's pretty but it makes driving hazardous at best. She lives at the lake house about twelve miles outside of Mystic Falls year around. As soon as she gets home, she's going to start a fire in the hearth. Once she has it burning vigorously, she's going to put her pajamas on, pour herself a glass of wine and curl up on the couch with Jasper and a good movie. She stops at the red light before pulling out onto the highway. She's a little surprised that there isn't more traffic on the road but she imagines that most of the area residents are either in town or spending a romantic evening at home.

Although she's a cautious driver, she gets a little scared when her car starts to swerve. Suddenly someone is driving right for her with their high beams on. Blinded, she tries to brake but when she does, her car slides into the ditch. Initially grateful that she's not hurt, she starts cursing out the other driver when he or she doesn't even bother to stop to see if she is okay. Turning the ignition, she breathes a sigh of relief when it starts but it soon turns to worry when the tires spin, sinking her deeper and deeper into the gravel. Too far away from home to walk, she has no choice but to stay with her car at least for now. Pulling her phone out of her purse, she tries to call AAA but curses again when she gets no signal. And with it being Valentine's day and all, a good hour passes and no one has yet to drive past her. Dropping her head onto the steering wheel, she's on the verge of tears when she sees headlights coming towards her in her side view mirror.

Seeing the car in the ditch, Damon pulls over to the side of the road, turns on his flashers and then jumps out of the car to see if anyone needs help. Wrapping his scarf around his neck, he hurries into the ditch, nearly falling on his ass when he slips. The woman opens the car door as soon as he reaches her. Even though it's dark, he can see how beautiful she is by the glare of his headlights.

"Thank you so much for stopping. The person who caused this didn't bother to stop."

"Are you alright, you're not hurt?"

"No, I'm not hurt but thanks for asking. I was driving pretty slow since the roads are icy."

"I saw a few cars in the ditch on my way home so I think you'll be waiting for awhile for a tow truck. I do have a rope, maybe I can try to pull you out?"

"Would you?"

"Of course, I can't just leave you sitting here now can I?"

Walking back to his trunk, he pulls the rope out. After securing it to hers, he tells her to start her engine when she sees his brake lights. But this time her engine doesn't turn over. Dropping her forehead onto the steering wheel in frustration, she lurches upright when she hears a knock on her window. When she rolls it down, he tells her to pop the hood. Lifting it up, he uses a flashlight to look around but doesn't see anything wrong.

"I checked your cables and connections and they all seem alright so I think your battery is dead."

"Are you a mechanic?" Elena asks, after trying to turn over the engine one more time at his behest.

"Something like that. For some stupid reason, I have no idea why but my jumper cables aren't in my trunk. I suspect maybe my brother borrowed them. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I just appreciate the fact that you stopped to help."

Looking in both directions and seeing no cars, he faces her again. "Can I take you somewhere?" Damon asks, rubbing his cold hands together.

"It's not late yet, will you let me buy you a cocktail for rescuing me?" Elena laughs, her megawatt smile beaming up at him.

"I'd like that," Damon replies. Stepping aside when she reaches into the car to pull out her purse. After locking her car, she follows, reaching for him when she too starts to slip. "Careful," Damon says grabbing onto her just before she hits the ground. Linking her arm with his, they walk to his car. Pulling the passenger door open, he lets her slide inside before pushing it closed. Skirting over the hood, he gets behind the wheel, buckles his seat belts and makes a U turn to head back into town. Not wanting to meet up with Caroline, Elena suggests Joe's Bar which is on the outskirts of town. Although there's a few cars in the parking lot, she's certain it's not nearly as crowded as The Grill in downtown Mystic Falls. After he parks, they get out of the car, he takes her hand when she starts to slip again.

"I'll tell the bartender that they need to put some salt out here. If someone gets hurt, he'll have a lawsuit on his hands," Damon mentions, smiling at her.

"You're right," she says, thanking him with a smile when he opens the door for her. Walking up to the bar, they plop down on the stools. Signaling the bartender, he moves in front of them. Taking her phone out of her pocket, she calls AAA to inform them about her car. Since as Damon said, there are multiple ditched cars, the man tells her it'll be a few hours before they can get to her vehicle. Shoving it into her purse, she smiles when she hears his voice.

"What's your poison, Elena?"

"A Bloody Mary with extra olives," she says, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"And I'll have a double bourbon on the rocks," Damon adds. As soon as the man hands them their drinks, Elena hands him a twenty dollar bill. Once she gets her change, they toast and each takes a swallow.

"This is good. I usually go to The Grill when I go out with friends but their Bloody Mary's aren't this good," Elena mentions, chomping down on one of the olives that are floating in her glass.

"My friends usually hang out at the place too but I actually prefer this one. I enjoy the quieter atmosphere here," Damon adds, taking a swallow of his Bourbon. Spinning in his stool, Damon notices that people are walking away from the pool table. "You up for a game?"

"Sure," Elena laughs, picking up hers and following him over to the pool table. Pleasantly surprised at how much she's having, she watches intently as he takes a shot. Not only is he as handsome as she's ever seen but he seems to be a genuinely nice guy. When he misses, he hands her the cue to try her hand. Not realizing she's quite adept at the game, his mouth parts when she pockets four balls before missing the fifth one.

"You know your way around a pool table," Damon chuckles, taking the cue from her to take his next shot.

"A little," she teases, rubbing her thumb and index finger together. Laughing, he turns his attention to the game at hand. They spend the rest of the evening getting to know each other better, playing pool, feeding the Jukebox and just enjoying each others company. It's a little scary really, she thinks. She's actually enjoying herself and on a Valentine's Day no less. Shivering slightly, she smiles when he winks at her after pocketing the eight ball.

When closing time comes, Elena tells Damon where she lives. Coincidentally, he lives on the other side of the lake. Knowing he has to drive, Damon only has the one drink, switching to Coke after he finished his bourbon. Driving slowly, he pulls into her driveway.

"Thank you so much for rescuing me tonight, Damon. I really had fun."

"Valentine's day is supposed to be fun, right?" he laughs, smile widely at her. Stepping out of the car, he walks her to the front door. As soon as she opens it, she turns around. Mesmerized by his blazing blue eyes, she leans forward at the same time that he does, their lips joining in a jolting kiss, one that makes her heart slam inside of her chest and literally takes her breath away. As soon as they pull apart, Damon says, "Goodnight, Elena."

"Goodnight Damon."

Smiling again, he turns around and walks back to his car. Just as he's about to crawl inside of his car, he changes his mind. Running back, he trots up her front steps, nearly slipping himself. "Um, can I have your phone number?"

"Of course," she smiles. Taking his phone, she adds it to his contact list while he does the same with hers. And after one more smoldering kiss, he whispers goodbye against her lips and then gets in his car and drives away, Elena watching till his headlights disappear into the distance.

* * *

Pushing the chair back, Elena closes her laptop. In between preparing a meal for her and Damon, she's worked on her column for this month's Mensa journal. Standing, she opens the oven to baste her roast. Once she puts the lid back on and closes the door again, she pulls the carrots and potatoes out to peel and add to the roast. Thirsty, she reaches into the fridge to get a bottle of soda. She wants the evening to be perfect. Since he won't be here for a couple of hours yet, she pats the wine bottle. Hearing the phone, she's picks it up, shaking her head when sees who it is. "Hello Caroline."

 _"Hi there. I'm just checking up on you. The big date is tonight after all."_

"I know. I'm nervous enough without you adding to it."

 _"Why are you nervous? You've already gone out a few times right?"_

"Well yes, but I've never cooked for a man."

 _"You have nothing to worry about. You're an excellent cook. But more importantly, when do I get to meet him?"_

"Soon, I promise."

 _"I'm going to hold you to that," she laughs, causing a smile to break out on Elena's face._

"I know you will. I just want to get to know him a little better first. Perhaps next weekend? I'll ask him about it, okay?"

 _"That would be perfect. Matt is off next weekend too. I'll let you go. Have fun," she adds then clicks off the phone._

Setting the phone down, she leans against the counter. Pulling the tab on her can of soda, she takes a long pull. Smiling despite herself, she's anxious to see him again. Although this is all still new to her, she and Damon have been seeing each other for the last few weeks. Despite her reservations about men, she can't deny the way her heart starts to sky rocket at just the sight of him or the way her breath hitches in her chest. It's an amazing feeling quite honestly.

They've gone to dinner, he's taken her dancing and to the movie theater. Although surprised, he smiled and said that he knew she was a smart one when she told him that she's a member of Mensa and writes a monthly column for their journal. She also told him that she wants to spread her wings of sorts by writing a novel but she hasn't come up with a concrete plot yet.

After taking one more sip, she sets it down and pulls the peeler out of the drawer and starts working on her vegetables. Once she finishes, she puts them in the roaster and then starts to set the table, complete with candles and wine flutes and a small bouquet of flowers that she picked up at the store. Glancing at her watch, she takes a breath and goes upstairs to shower and get dressed. Every time she's seen him, he has worn jeans so she told him just casual attire.

As soon as she gets done, she dresses in her dark blue skinny jeans, flats and a cute top. Sliding on her cardigan, she goes downstairs to wait for his arrival. Dropping onto the couch, she turns on TV. Without even realizing it, her foot is tapping nervously against the carpet. She's never cooked for any man before and yet when she blurted out that she wanted to cook for him, he nodded eagerly before kissing her with such ferocity that she felt faint by the time he ended it. She's aroused from her thoughts when Jasper jumps on her lap and starts to snuzzle up and rub against her face. Laughing, she relaxes and starts to pet him. Sufficiently distracted, she doesn't hear the sound of his car when he drives up. Hearing the knock on her front door, she jumps, sending Jasper flying.

"Sorry, Jas," she says, petting him again. After brushing the hair off of her pants, she walks to the door. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she opens it, her mouth dropping when she sees the bouquet of roses in his arms.

"Damon, they're lovely. You shouldn't have." Raising them to her face, she inhales deeply, closing her eyes at their fragrant scent.

"Sure I should have," he adds, leaning into drop a kiss to her lips.

"That's nice," she says, stepping aside to let him pass. Leading him into the living room, she tells him to take a seat and then hands him the remote. Not wasting a moment, Jasper jumps onto his lap, immediately purring loudly when Damon starts to pet him.

"You should know that Jasper has never liked any of my dates. Normally he growls at strange men," Elena teases, raising a brow.

"That's because I'm a good guy," Damon says, winking at her before scrolling the channels stopping when he finds " _The Big Sleep_ " with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. "I love most of his movies but this is a favorite," he mentions, settling back against the couch, his hand still on her cat.

"Me too but my favorite of his movies is " _Casablanca_." Elena admits. "I'm just going to check on dinner. I'll be back shortly." Before he can say anything, she spins on her heels and walks out of the room and into the kitchen. Feeling her heart skitter around inside, she presses her palm against her chest to calm herself down. Although she'd love a shot of Tequila right about now, she pushes that aside and turns the oven off. After pouring the juice off, she mixes up some corn starch and water to thicken it. Once she finishes, she plates the roast and vegetables and sets them on the table. Lastly she takes the wine out and opens it up to let it breathe a few moments. With clammy hands and a roiling tummy, she goes back to tell Damon that it's time to eat.

"Sorry Jasper," he says, lifting the cat onto the cushion beside him. Standing up, he walks right over to her, pulls her into his arms and drops his mouth to hers. As soon as he lets go, he presses one more to the tip of her nose and then follows her breathlessly in the kitchen. Always the gentleman, he pulls the chair out for her and scoots it in once she's seated. Taking a chair himself, he slides it close.

"Thank you," she says softly before asking if he wants some wine. Reaching for it, he fills a glass for each of them. Picking up his flute, he inhales, savoring its bouquet before clinking it with hers and taking a sip.

"This is very good," he compliments, taking the platter of food from her. Once they're dished up, they eat and chat about incidental things, thoroughly enjoying spending the evening together. When they finish, Damon helps her clean up. After the dishes are washed and put away and the leftovers are in the refrigerator, he takes her hand and leads her into the living room. Reaching the couch, he pulls her onto his lap and proceeds to kiss her senselessly and when she comes up for air, her eyes a bleary with want and desire. Although she'd like nothing more than to have sex with the man, she isn't quite ready to take that step yet. Completely understanding, he tucks her snuggly into his arms. They spend the rest of the evening wrapped comfortably in each others embrace.

* * *

"Thanks for coming with me, Damon. They're my oldest friends. We all grew up together."

Waggling his brows playfully, he retorts, "Of course, anything for you, lovely lady."

"Damon," she whispers, standing up on her tip toes to press a kiss to his lips. Elena can hardly believe how wonderful things have been between them. She has yet to find anything that she doesn't like about Damon. He's an absolute dream of a man. Whenever he's free, they're together and if they're not together in person, they skype or talk for hours on the phone. Sometimes she literally pinches herself to make sure she isn't really imagining it all. With their hands conjoined, they walk down the sidewalk, stopping when they reach Caroline's door. Moments after letting them in the house, Caroline scampers off to the kitchen when a whiff of smoke fills the air.

"I love her dearly but she can be a ditz at times," Elena laughs, pushing the door closed. Taking his jacket, she hangs it on the coat tree along with her own. Just as she's turning around, Matt enters the foyer. Before she can introduce Damon, Caroline is back. The tentative looks they're giving each other raises Elena curiosity. With her eyes darting to all three of them, she steps back slightly, putting a little distance between herself and Damon.

"It's good to see you again, Damon," Matt adds, shaking the man's hand.

"You know each other?" Elena asks, tasting the bile when her tummy begins to churn uncomfortably.

"Yes, we do, Elena. Damon is a colleague of mine. He's one of the Radiologists."

"You're _the_ doctor? The very one that Caroline has been trying to set me up with?" Elena asks, her heart slamming painfully in her chest as she backs away even further. "You said that you worked on cars. I thought you were a mechanic."

"No, I never said that, I just didn't correct your assumption," he explains. Much to his dismay, when he takes a step closer, she steps farther away.

"Did you know, did you all know?"

"Yes, we knew. Damon confided in Matt," Caroline adds.

"If you already knew him, why were you pushing me to meet him?"

"Elena, you've been gushing about him since you met. I didn't want to throw a damper on it."

"How could you? Is this some kind of a sick joke? Let's pull one over on Elena," she snaps. "How could you do this to me?" Before anyone can say another word, Elena grabs her coat and after sharing one more pain-filled look with Damon, she runs off into the darkness, tears falling freely from her eyes. Once she regains her composure, she knows that the first place he'll go or they'll go is her home. Jasper has enough food sitting out so she has no need to worry about him. Not wanting to face any of them anytime soon, she walks to the Mystic Falls Holiday Inn and gets a room for the night. Once she hangs the 'do not disturb' sign on the doorknob, she collapses onto the bed, her tears falling all over again. How could she fall so hard and so fast for him? It was a big set up. Caroline knew she was going home that night. Of course she couldn't have known that Elena would go in the ditch so that part was likely incidental. Still she can't help but believe everything that followed was nothing more than a big set up conjured together by Caroline, Matt and maybe even Damon too. For the first time in her life, she dared to hope that she had found someone and something beautiful but now she knows it was all a lie. If only he'd told her that he was a doctor, she knows now that she wouldn't have cared because she's already crazy in love with him. But it's the lying and the duplicity that she can't forgive not now and maybe not ever.

Having nothing better to do, she goes into the bathroom and turns the water on to fill the tub. Taking the small bottle of complimentary shower gel, she pours it under the running water watching hypnotically as the bubbles form. Feeling the hot water on her forearm, she pulls back and turns the cold on just enough to make it comfortable. After stripping out of her clothes, she sinks into the water. With tears threatening again, she lays back, closes her eyes and tries unsuccessfully to push him out of her mind.

* * *

Even though he ran after her that night, looking everywhere he could think to look, he couldn't find her. Damon tried time and again to call her, even showing up at the lake house too many times to count but each and every time he was met with darkness in the windows. The last time, he ran into a caretaker. The man explained that the owner is in Europe for the foreseeable future and that she hired him to take care of the place while she's gone. He wonders about Jasper but figures she must've taken him along with her. Sometimes when he's looking at the night sky, he can't help but think that she's somewhere out there under that endless blanket of stars too. He even went so far as to show up at the Mensa society to see if their magazine office would give him something, anything to go by. That turned out to be a dead end too when he was informed that she had resigned. Without anywhere else to turn, no clues as to how to find her, Damon, albeit reluctantly, was forced to give up.

Not even her best friend knows where she is. Caroline promised him over and over that although Elena has contacted her occasionally, she's never revealed where she went. The only thing Caroline knows for sure is that she went overseas but whether it's Europe or Asia or even the far East, she couldn't say. Walking down familiar sidewalk and up the steps, he knocks on the door.

"Damon, come in," Caroline says, pushing the door closed after he's inside. Linking her arm with his, she leads him into the living room. After pouring each of them a drink she sits on the opposite end of the couch. "Matt should be home soon. I don't know how to bring this up other than to just say it. Elena is finally going to come home. Apparently she's been in Europe all these months, Paris, London, Prague, Vienna, you name it..." Taking a sip of her wine, she adds, "She still isn't entirely herself when she talks to me. Even though I think she already knew, I told her that you two met quite coincidentally that night on the road. I know you care about her, Damon. I hope you can understand, she's been hurt before by men that I had a hand in introducing her too. I'm so happy with Matt, I wanted that for her too so I set her up repeatedly on blind dates so a lot of her reaction is my fault. She's so smart and the men have all been insecure assholes who didn't want to be with anyone who could best them intellectually. I know that you're not that way and that you genuinely cared for her. We just have to convince her of that. Because of Matt's job, more than one of the dates I set up were with doctors which is why she has such an aversion to them.

"I know about Elena's fears and insecurities. I paid attention in those weeks that we were dating. I remember Matt telling me about your very kind and beautiful friend and how she didn't like doctors and that her dislike stemmed from something deeply personal. He also mentioned how she hated blind dates and he feared that she was living vicariously through the characters in her stories and only wrote for that magazine to earn enough money to publish a book at some point. I figured he was exaggerating but after meeting her, I knew it was the truth," he adds, dropping his eyes to his hands that are clenched around the stem of his wine glass.

"I should have been up front with her but I was already in too deep before I realized it. You told me repeatedly that she didn't want to date a doctor. It's a damned if I do and damned if I don't, I didn't and now she's gone. I do love her, Caroline," he confesses, his eyes meeting hers. After taking another swallow, he adds, "I'm willing to give her some time but I can't wait forever."

"You love her?" Caroline asks, clutching his hand when he drops it from his glass.

"Yes, I love her. You know all too well how I searched everywhere that I could think to search. Hell, Caroline, you helped me. Had I had any idea as to where to look, I would've boarded the first plane to Europe myself but..," he says, his voice trailing off. Finishing his glass in one swallow, she smiles sadly and then refills it.

"When is she coming home?"

"I'm not certain. She told me sometime after Christmas but didn't specify a date," she starts to say, pausing when she hears the front door. Thinking it must be Matt, she continues, telling him how Elena is wary of what she says around her now. Feeling her voice catch with sadness, she wipes her eyes when she feels them starting to moisten. When she sees her husband, she looks up, smiling sadly.

Seeing the two of them, Matt kisses his wife. Trying to reassure her that Elena will come around eventually, he drops one more kiss to her lips then pours himself a glass of wine. Tired himself, he sits down in the recliner, puts his feet up and steers the conversation to a different topic, one much less painful. Although Damon nods occasionally when he's spoken to, his mind is unable to let go of the brown eyed girl who captured both his heart and his head.

* * *

"Come here Jasper," Elena says, patting the couch next to her. She's been home for a few days but hasn't yet bothered to let anyone know that she's back. Since Caroline is so gaga about Valentine's day, she'll tell her she's back once today has passed. The last few days she's spent stocking up on groceries and filling her fridge and freezer. Not wanting word to get out that she's home yet, she drove out of her way to a grocery store in the next town over. Petting her cat, she flicks on the TV settling in to watch _"Bringing Up Baby'_. It's and old romantic comedy featuring Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn's and a leopard named Baby.

But as the afternoon wears on, she sees more and more Valentine's day commercials which only makes her feel rather antagonistic. And when she feels Jasper rub against her, she can't help but think of _him_. Jasper took to Damon immediately, something he's never ever done before. Starting to feel both bored and melancholic, Elena starts to pace the length of her living room. With the realization that she could stand to get out of her house for awhile, she still tries to talk herself out of it. Finally giving up, she trots up the stairs to change clothes, do something to her hair and put on a little makeup. As soon as she's done, she gives herself a nod in the mirror, grabs her coat and runs outside to her car. Even though it's V day, she feels relieved that there aren't many cars in the parking lot of Joe's Bar. After parking the car, she gets out, locks it and struts inside. Looking around, she breathes a relieved sigh when she doesn't see anyone that she knows.

Strutting up to the bar, she lays her bag and her phone on the bar top then steps up and onto the stool. Remembering how good the Blood Mary was, she orders one with extra olives. As soon as Joe hands it to her, she picks out one of them and chews it up. Glancing over her shoulder, she notices the juke box so she slides off of her seat to go over to put some coins in it. Strolling through the rolodex, she selects a few songs then pushes play. As soon as "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" starts to play, she sings along as she walks back over to the bar and sits back down. Picking up her glass, she takes a long pull, closing her eyes as the flavors blend on her tongue. Feeling the urge to go to the bathroom, she finishes off her drink then picks up her purse to do her business.

After washing and drying her hands, she walks out but she gasps when she's waylaid by someone who grabs her arm and pulls into the shadows. "What do you want?" she asks, the hairs on the back of her neck sticking up. When he tells her to sit, she's no longer afraid because she recognizes the feel of his hands and the smell of his cologne. When he removes his hand, Elena's mouth drops open when she sees the checked table cloth, the drippy candle, a bottle of champagne and a plate full of chocolate covered strawberries. Lifting the bottle out of the cooler, he pops the cork and pours some bubbly in each of the champagne flutes. Picking one up, he hands it to her. "Have a sip. I was told it's the best."

"What is all this, Damon?"

Extremely grateful that she showed up and that he didn't have to go home wearing egg on his face, he explains his side of the story. "I just need you to listen to me, Elena. The night we met... that was entirely coincidental. I swear to you that there was no conspiracy between the Donovan's and myself. I too hate blind dates. I've had more than one disastrous experience myself. And yes, Caroline told me about you but I didn't want any part of it either. I had no idea that you were her friend Elena when we met on that cold snowy night. I'll admit that I'm no saint, I never said no when the girls offered, that is until you. I haven't been with another woman since you left. I didn't want to be."

"Damon, that's a bit hard to believe. I've been gone a long time," she says softly, wiping her eyes before the tears fall.

"I understand why you would think that but I swear that I'm telling you the truth. I've been waiting patiently at times, impatiently at others just to be able to see your face and tell you that I'm completely in love with you." When she starts shaking her head back and forth, he presses forward. Sitting down on the other side of the booth, he takes her hands in his. "It's true, Elena, I swear it is. I wouldn't lie about something as life changing as this." Mesmerized by the way her chest is heaving, Damon finds himself unable to look away. Picking up a strawberry, he places it at her lips, letting her take a bite. When the juice starts to run down her lips, he leans over the table and kisses her fiercely, enough to make her toes curl. When he pulls away, he gives her another bite then finishes off the strawberry. Moving over to her side of the bench, he cradles her cheeks and then drops his mouth to hers once more. Her heart starts pounding furiously against her chest when her lips part and he thrusts his tongue inside. Suddenly a scratching sound attracts their attention. When she looks at him, his eyes are alight with mirth. Reaching under the table, he pulls out an animal carrier. Looking inside, she sees a beautiful cat.

"Damon, it's beautiful."

"He's a Bengal cat. I hope Jasper will like him," Damon laughs. Before taking it out of it's carrier, he looks around to make sure that no one sees them. Pulling it out, he places the cat in Elena's arms. "Oh, Damon," she melts as she pets him but when he meows, the bartender looks directly at them.

"Come on, Damon. No animals in the bar. I don't want the Health Department breathing down my neck."

"Okay, Gus. We'll get out of here, um, if you're agreeable," he adds, his attention on her.

"Take me home, Damon," she says softly, licking her lips. Seeing how her pupils are dark and brimming with lust, he nods. After putting the strawberries and champagne back in his picnic basket and the cat in the carrier, he and Elena leave Joe's. Since Elena has her own car, Damon puts the stuff in his trunk and then follows her home. As soon as they step into her house, she lunges at him, jumping into his arms, she wraps her legs around his middle. With one arm holding her, he pauses only to set the cat carrier on the floor and open the door so he can explore if he wants. When their eyes meet, she uses her head to gesture upstairs, Attching his lips to hers, he hurries up them as fast as he can. Once they're in her room, he sets her down and drops a smoldering kiss to her lips.

Dropping his hands to the hem of her shirt, he starts to peel it off. Before she can even open her mouth, he has her sprawled out and bare on the top of her bed. When the cool air from the ceiling fan blows over her skin, her nipples harden enticing him even more. Lowering himself beside her, Elena gasps sharply when he sucks one nipple into his mouth. Dropping her eyes to meet his endless blue ones staring back at her, it's nearly enough to push her over the edge. The sight of her breast disappearing inside the heat of his mouth is so intensely erotic that her belly already starts to burn white hot with desire.

Pinning her hands at her sides, he moves to the other breast. Aching to run her fingers through his hair, she struggles against the hold he has on her wrists. He lifts his head slowly, pausing his sweet torture for a millisecond before his lips start to blaze a fiery trail over the valley of her sensitized breasts, across her chest and up her neck. Paying special attention to that spot behind her ear, Elena moans when she feels his heated breath against her skin.

"I'm going to worship every millimeter of skin on your body." Using his tongue, he traces the curve of her ear, presses the wispiest of kisses to each eyelid and the tip of her nose. Planting his pliant mouth against hers, he kisses her with such intensity that it feels like her insides are a wildfire consuming everything in its path.

"Damon?" she breathes, her body wanting everything that he has to offer.

His head moves to her other shoulder and once more, when his warm breath hits her ear, she hears him say seductively, "I want to hear you scream my name."

With his hands still firmly encircling her wrists, he lowers his mouth to hers yet again. Wanting him to free her arms so she can run her hands up and down his finely chiseled physique, she bites onto his lower lip causing him to hiss at the sting. Without letting go, he gives her a wink and secures her wrists with one hand. Using his free hand, he tangles it in her hair using it as leverage to pull her head back. After slowly and salaciously running his tongue along his lower lip, he lays claim to her mouth again. Feeling his possessive and demanding lips on hers, she moans aloud. When her back bows, her breasts press against his bare chest. The delicious slide of her nipples against the light dusting of hair on his chest nearly drives her mad with desire.

After letting go of her lips with a plopping sound, he stares at her with so much love that Elena feels her heart start to slam against her throat. Unable to get enough, Damon steals another smoldering kiss before he slithers down her body finally landing where she wants him the most. Settling himself between her legs, he uses his tongue to trace the crease of one thigh and then the other. The feeling of his mouth on her is exquisite beyond anything she could ever imagine.

Using his tongue, he runs it along her sensitive flesh and taps her clit repeatedly. A long series of moans escape her mouth at the pleasure he's giving her. Undeterred, he probes everywhere but where she wants him the most. With her fingers clutching the sheets so tightly that her nailbeds are white, he finally pulls her clit between his teeth, nipping and suckling till her orgasm hits her with the force of a runaway locomotive, screaming Damon's name as her body convulses with intense and unbridled pleasure.

Still bleary-eyed, she raises her head slightly when he pauses in his ministrations. When their eyes meet, his smoldering gaze causes chill bumps to erupt all over her body yet again. Raising her hand, she cups the back of his neck and pulls his lips to hers. While their mouths are engaged, she runs her hands down the his back and onto the curve of his ass. Feeling his tip brush against her now heated core, she raises her hips to invite him inside. Taking the hint, Damon pulls back slightly, takes himself in hand and positions himself right where they both want him. Using her hips for leverage, he presses forward, inch by delicious inch. Before she can even take a breath he pulls out and moves back even more slowly.

"You feel heavenly," she breathes, brushing a strand of hair off of his forehead. With his mouth on hers yet again, Damon pulls his hips back before plunging forward again making Elena cry out in ecstasy. With his elbows on either side of her head, he anchors himself as he continues his delicious brand of torture. Wrapping her legs around his waist to pull him in even farther. Picking up the pace, Damon start to push them both closer to release. Seeing his lips parted and his eyes focused only on her, she can feel it when he starts to get close as he plunges harder and deeper. When his hand slips between their bodies, he pats her clit and that's all it takes for Elena to unravel, pleasure pounding through her like gale force winds in a hurricane. Her arms tighten around Damon to keep herself from drifting away. Lost in Nirvana, she faintly hears his voice as he comes with the cry of her name on his lips.

Collapsing on top of her, she revels in the feel of his weight pressing her body into the mattress. When she feels his breathing begin to even out, he lifts himself off of her. Powerless to stop him as her body is still in a state of complete and boneless euphoria, she watches him with glazed eyes. Once his heart regulates, he rolls onto his side. Pulling her close, her back to his front, he wraps his arms around her. After burying his face in her hair, he breathes her in and falls asleep almost instantly. Feeling the rhythmic puff of his breaths against the damp skin of her shoulder, she knows he's asleep. Blissfully happy, completely sated and feeling safe and warm in his protective arms, Elena closes her eyes and lets the night consume her.

* * *

After studying the MRI scan, Damon dictates his report. As soon as he finishes, he happens to glance at the wall calendar. Since it's Valentine's day again, he'll have to remember to stop at the florist later to get some roses and chocolate covered strawberries for his wife. Aroused from his thoughts when his intern asks about the next scan, he looks over the CT film. Just as he's about to point out the pulmonary embolus to his intern, everyone hears, "Dr. Salvatore, please report to labor and delivery stat" being announced over the hospital's intercom system.

"Showtime," he adds, jumping out of his seat. Slipping on his lab coat, he runs out of the radiology department and down the long hallway towards L&D. As soon as he arrives, he runs over to the nurse's desk. When she points him to his wife's room, he runs pell-mell down the hall, grabbing onto the door frame to stop his forward momentum. Seeing his wife, curled up, her face reddened and sweaty, he hurries to the bedside.

"Why didn't you call me sooner?" he asks, sliding behind on the bed.

"I don't know, it's not like you didn't know that I was in labor," she snaps as another contraction takes hold. Pushing hard, Elena's face reddens and her nailbeds turn white as she breathes, Damon supports her, voicing soft words of encouragement as it peaks. When it passes, he presses a kiss to her sweaty head and tells her how much he loves her. Moments later the nurse comes in to check her progress. Putting on a pair of gloves, she has a look and tells her she's fully dilated and a hundred percent effaced. They both feel grateful when she tells them that she's going to fetch the doctor.

"You're the one who told me to do some work," he adds, raising an eyebrow.

"So you choose today to listen to me?" she retorts, groaning when she feels another one. As she's pushing, Dr. Pierce comes into the room. Once she has her gown and gloves on, she gets into position and tells Elena to push hard when the next one peaks. When it does, she curls in on herself and pushes as hard as she can. Feeling like she's pushing a watermelon out of a pinhole, she screams aloud, collapsing back against Damon as soon as the doctor says the head is out. Taking the bulb syringe, she cleans out the baby's mouth and nose and tells Elena that one more push and they'll meet their baby.

Elena barely has time to catch her breath when another begins to burn and twist at her insides. With Damon moving in closer behind her, he leans over as she does, hoping to give her the strength she needs. Yelling, she bears down as hard as she can. The next few seconds seem to pass in slow motion as the doctor pulls the baby from her body and lays it on her chest.

"It's a girl," Dr. Pierce announces. Barely able to see through her teary eyes, Elena wraps her arms around the infant, cuddling her next to her chest. Pressing a kiss to Elena's sweat dampened hair, he then leans down to kiss his baby girl's downy black hair. When the doctor asks Damon is he wants to cut the cord, he takes the scissors and clips it after it's clamped on either side. After giving the couple a few moments to bond, the nurse takes her to record the vital statistics and clean her up while Elena delivers the placenta. Once Elena is freshened up, they give the baby back to her. With Damon beside her on the bed and baby Lucy in her arms, she snuggles into Damon's chest. Smiling at his little family, Damon pulls a little black box out of his pocket.

"What's this?" she asks when he hands it to her. While gently fingering his babies hair, he watches Elena open it. It's a heart shaped white gold amethyst and diamond pendant. "Damon, it's beautiful."

Pulling her impossibly closer, he presses a kiss to her temple. Dropping his lips to her ear, he says, "See, Valentine's Days really aren't so bad now are they?"

* * *

 _Thank you again, Eva. I don't know where not only me but all of us would be without you and your brilliant mind._

 _Thank you all for reading._

 _Please remember to click the review button._

 _I hope you all have a safe and blissfully romantic day. We'll see you next with chapter 2 of 'Phoenix Rising'._


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